MUZAFFARABAD: Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on Monday met Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan Sikandar Sultan Raja and sought his cooperation to ensure free and fair elections on 12 seats reserved for Pakistan-based refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Mughal was accompanied by AJK Election Commission member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani and Secretary Mohammad Shakeel Khan.

Of the 12 constituencies of the AJK Legislative Assembly in Pakistan, six are reserved for refugees from the Kashmir Valley and six for those from Jammu. The transparency of elections on these seats has often been questioned in the past, largely because the AJK Election Commission lacks administrative jurisdiction in Pakistan and relies on the ECP for logistical support.

According to a press release issued by the AJK Election Commission, Mr Mughal requested the ECP’s assistance in the preparation of electoral rolls, establishment of polling stations and deployment of polling staff in refugee constituencies to ensure that elections were conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.

He recalled that during previous elections, the ECP had extended full cooperation to the AJK Election Commission and expressed the hope that similar support would continue this time as well.

Mr Mughal said that close coordination would be maintained between the AJK Election Commission’s office at Poonch House, Rawalpindi, and the ECP to ensure timely and efficient completion of administrative arrangements and facilitate the smooth conduct of elections in refugee constituencies.

On the occasion, Mr Raja assured that the ECP would provide all possible assistance to the AJK Election Commission to ensure that the electoral process in refugee constituencies was completed in a transparent and organised manner.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026